Oshtoora's organisers have released a detailed programme of the festival’s upcoming edition ahead of its kick off on 28 April in Fayoum, 100 kilometres southwest of Cairo.

The five-day festival will comprise a wide range of performances and activities including music, film, puppet theatre, storytelling, visual arts, and more.

This year’s music programme will feature DJ performances by Eskalob (Egypt), Missy Ness (France/Tunisia), Cairo Shakers (Egypt), Masters at Funk (Egypt) and Wad Na3na3 (Lebanon), among others. 

El-Nafikha (Egypt) will also present their amalgam of musical genres and creative rearrangements of heritage music. Other music performances include electrotarab by Hello Psychaleppo (Syria), and gnawa music by Mehdi Nassouli (Morocco).

A vibrant fusion of chaabi, rock, metal, reggae and gnawa music will be presented by Djmawi Africa (Algeria).

Egyptian band Massar Egbari is also in this year's music lineup, as well as Afghan Project by two Tunisian artists, Katybon, a rapper and music producer, and Zinga, a Dj and visual artist.

Oshtoora's film programme, organised by art-house cinema Zawya, will show three films: As I Open My Eyes (Tunisia) , Beats of the Antonov (Sudan) and Amy (USA).

This year’s visual arts programme is curated by Egyptian visual artist Bassem Yousri. It will exhibit works by Sandrine Pelletier (Switzerland), Angele Keserwany (Lebanon), Alchem Studio (Egypt), Jan Gerner and Reham Alshorbaji (Germany/Jordan), Mohamed Ismail Shawky (Egypt) and Mohamed Shoukry (Egypt). According to Oshtoora's website, this year's edition will also comprise "an interactive installation by Sedky Sakhr and powered by Ain Bicycles." 

The performing arts programme, curated by Amina Abodoma, is just as rich with storytelling sessions by Michelle and Noel Keserwany (Lebanon) and Alaa El-Sheikh (Egypt), performances by El-Kousha Puppets (Egypt), Outa Hamra (Egypt), juggler Ali El-Sebai (Egypt) and hip-hop dance troupe Swaggers Crew (Egypt).

The festival will also host Mashrou' Choral (The Choir Project), a workshop of "communal improvisation, lyric-writing, and composition [that] culminates in a short performance," as mentioned on the project's Facebook page.

All this in addition to an array of activities, including arts and crafts by Pheel, a kool kite making workshop by El-Kousha, and a tabla workshop with Akram Al-Sharif, in addition to other activities such as yoga and qi-gong.

Oshtoora is organised by Youssef Atwan, Muhammad El-Quessny and Heba El-Sherif who recently spoke to Ahram Online about how they will capitalise on last year’s experience and move the event forward.

“One of the most cherished observations we got in feedback was the remarkable atmosphere and a community spirit of Oshtoora,” comments Youssef Atwan, pointing to the “seven hundred participants [who] were so nice to each other, so helpful and generous. For many people this is the best thing that could ever happen to them. Music was not the main thing.”

Oshtoora's 2016 programme. (Photo: Courtesy of Oshtoora's Facebook page)

For more arts and culture news and updates, follow Ahram Online Arts and Culture on Twitter at @AhramOnlineArts and on Facebook at Ahram Online: Arts & Culture